The installation of arcuate ceilings in the hallways, foyers, closets or other rooms of a residential or commercial structure has heretofore required considerable skill and labor. In the prior art, the method of installing an arcuate ceiling structure typically begins by cutting two pieces of plywood to form arcuately contoured cut-outs therewithin. Thereafter, the two pieces of plywood are positioned in spaced relation between first and second opposed rows of vertical wall studs, with the vertical side edges of each piece of plywood being nailed to respective wall studs of the first and second rows. The horizontal top edge of each piece of plywood is then nailed to a respective one of the horizontal headers extending between the top ends of the vertical wall studs of the first and second rows. When the two plywood pieces are properly attached to the wall studs and headers, the arcuate cut-outs therewithin are disposed in co-planar relation to each other.
Subsequent to the attachment of the plywood pieces to the wall studs and headers, elongate wooden pieces (i.e., two-by-fours) are extended longitudinally therebetween. The opposed ends of the two-by-fours are positioned along the cut-outs formed in the plywood pieces so as to roughly approximate-an arcuate pattern, and are subsequently nailed to respective Ones of the plywood pieces. The central portions of the two-by-fours are then "blocked in" to provide support thereto. This is typically accomplished by cutting short sections of two-by-four or other wooden material to form nailing blocks which are extended between and nailed to the top edges of the two-by-fours and the bottom surfaces of the headers extending between the top ends of the vertical wall studs of the first and second rows. Thereafter, a sheet of drywall or other ceiling material is applied to the bottom edges of the two-by-fours and nailed thereto, thus forming the arcuate ceiling structure.
The above-described prior art method of installing an arcuate ceiling structure is known to be time consuming and expensive, and to result in non-uniform and oftentimes uneven interior ceiling surfaces. Because such defects are usually readily visible, the builder is often called upon to undertake remedial work after the ceiling and interior walls have been finished and painted. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a simple, inexpensive and uniformly shaped arcuate ceiling structure which may be positioned between first and second opposed rows of vertical wall studs in a manner creating a smoothly arched and uniform ceiling structure. In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention is intended to provide a desired inexpensive and simple arcuate ceiling structure which may be reproducibly manufactured in a range of sizes to accommodate various hallway, foyer, closet and room sizes and various construction methodology.